Cleopatra VII

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 11th grade May 2001

download word file, 3 pages 0.0

Downloaded 16 times

Cleopatra VIICleopatra VII became the pharaoh of Egypt when she was about seventeen or eighteen because her father, Ptolemy Auletes, died about 51 B.C. She was born on 69 B.C. in Alexandria, which was the capital of Egypt at that time. She had one older sister, one younger sister, and two younger brothers. Cleopatra VII and her brother Ptolemy XIII took the throne.

Cleopatra was not so beautiful as described today. She had long hooked big nose, with very masculine features. But she was very attracting woman. She had a very nice voice and she was very intelligent. She spoke nine languages and proved herself that she can be a very clever politician. Her husband Ptolemy or her brother was only 12 when she married him. But Ptolemy didn¡¯t have any authority but only had his name. He remained powerless for three years while Cleopatra was in rule for three years.

Ptolemy¡¯s advisors were not happy with this, attacking Cleopatra in 48 B.C. exiling her from Egypt to Syria(Cleopatra VII pg. 1~2). Determined to get her throne, Cleopatra launched her army near the border. During this time, Pompey was fighting with Julius Caesar for control over Roman Empire. After he lost, he went to Ptolemy by Caesar¡¯s advice for protection. But Ptolemy¡¯s advisors thought it would be safer to side with Caesar, stabbing Pompey to death. Three days later Caesar arrived at Ptolemy¡¯s and the advisors their offered him the head of Pompey as a gift. But Pompey was Caesar¡¯s friend and Caesar was mad by the murder they did. So he took the throne giving orders. He also made Cleopatra and Ptolemy to dismiss their armies to solve their problems. Knowing that she would be killed if she entered Alexandria openly, she had her self-hidden under and...